Supporting device



April 13 1926.. I 1,580,772

J. T. ASHTON SUPPORTING DEVI CE Filed July 3, 1924 g 10 a vwentoz flikzz Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

Jenna. ASHTON, or ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

SUPPORTING DEVICE.

Application filed July 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,"JOHN T. Asn'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the countyof Alexandria and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting Devices, of which the following is aspecifica- Lion.

This invention relates to means for supporting absorbent or other suitable material upon a finger of a person.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for holding gauze, absorbent cotton or other suitable material upon the finger of the user in convenient position for wiping, sterilizing, cleaning or polishing an instrument or tool.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for supporting desired material upon the finger of the user, and constructed so that the material itself cooperates with the components of thedevice for securely gripping the finger of the user.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for holding desired material upon the linger of the user and arranged to release the finger when the material has been removed from the holding device.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the comhination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes-in the precise embodiment of. the invention herein disclosed, may be made Within the scope of What is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view depicting the invention in use;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device in its normal gripping position, the users finger and absorbent material being indicated by dotted lines, I

Figure 3 is a similar View, but showing the device in its released position;

Figure 4. is a top plan of the device per se; and

Figure 5 is a fragmental perspective view of one component of the device.

The device constituting this invention in- 1924. Serial No. 724,009.

eludes opposed members or levers 10, which are preferably formed of sheet metal, although it is to be understood that any suitable material maybe employed as manufacturing conditions may require. Each member 10 comprises a resilient, curvilinear, finger-engaging member 11 and an angularly disposed gripper member .12, each gripper member 12 having a gripping flange 13 eX- tending inwardly therefrom, and the inner or adjacent edges ltof the flanges 13 are preferably straight, as shown.

Opposed pivot ears 15 extend perpendicularly from the intermediate portions of the members 10 and these ears are provided with apertures 16 for thereception of a pivot pin or member 17 thereby pivotally uniting the members 10. v

V In use the cotton, gauze or other suitable material C is inserted between the flanges 13 of the gripper members 12 while the gripper members are in their extreme open position. Now the gripper members are partially closed and the finger-engaging portions placed over the thumb of the left hand of the user. \Vhile thethumb is being insertedbetween the finger-engaging members 11, the absorbent material 0 yields to ,permit the finger-engaging members to slip over the thumb or fingerand. this is also aided by the resiliency of the finger-engaging members. If an'oversized portion of material is placed between the gripper member 12 the resilient finger-engaging members 11 will yield sufliciently to accommodate the thumb or finger of the user.

that the device will be especially useful and advantageous to dentists, doctors, and other professional practitioners,: as well as me-a proved sterilizing material and employed either as a cleaner or sterilizer as conditions may dictate.

The material, when desired, may be saturated or coated with a selected medicament, and then it will successfully serve as a con- I It will be manifest from this diclosure may be saturated .or coated with .some ap- I venient means for supplying or replenishing the medicament to an instrument in the hand or the user. Among its many uses, the device may be employed as a cleaner where the cleaning operation requires an abrasive action, and in this event a suitable abrasive material, such as mineral wool or the like, may readily be supported by the device.

When it is desired to remove the material C from the device, the material is pulled from between the gripper members 12 and flanges 13. This releases thedevice from engagement with the fingers,'as shown in Figure 3, and permits its ready removal therefrom. Although this disclosure points out specific uses for the device, it is to be understood that it may be employed in many other uses without departing from the spiritot the invention.

In any of the uses of the device the user may frequently Wipe or otherwise engage an instrument held in one hand on the material which is held by the device on the other hand Without in any way restricting the free use of the hands for other duties.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

, 1. A device of the class described including opposed pivotally-united members, the said members comprising opposed gripper members and opposed finger-engaging portions, the gripper member being constructed to securely grip material therebetween and cooperating with the finger-engaging portionsto securely hold the finger-engaging portions in engagement with the users finger when the material is gripped between the opposed gripper members, the finger-engaging portions being yieldable to permit material of various sizes to be held by the gripper members and to impart gripping stress to the opposed gripper members.

2. A device of the class described including opposed pivotally united members, the said members comprising opposed gripper members and opposed arcuate finger-engaging portions, the gripper members and finger-engaglng portions operating in opposition to each other, the finger-engaging portions being yieldable to permit material of various sizes to be held by the gripper members and to impart gripping stress to the opposed gripper members.

3. A device of the class described including opposed pivotally united members, the said members comprising opposed rigid grip per members having perpendicularly-disposed gripping flanges and opposed resilicnt finger-engaging portions, the gripper members and finger-engaging portions operating in opposition to each other.

4%. A device of the class described including opposed members, the said members comprising opposed gripper members, opposed a-rcuate finger-engaging portions and op posed ears positioned between the gripper members and the finger-engaging portions, and means for pivotally uniting the said ears, the finger-engaging portions being yieldable to permit material of various sizes to be held by the gripper members and to impart gripping stress to the opposed gripper members.

5. A device of the class described including opposed pivotally-united members, the said members comprising opposed gripper members,gripping flanges carried by the gripper members, and opposed finger-engaging portions, the finger-engaging portions being yieldable to permit material of var ious sizes to be held by the gripper members and to impart gripping stress to the opposed gripper members.

6. A device of the class described including opposed pivotally-united members, the said members comprising opposed gripper members and opposed finger engaging portions, the gripper members being constructed to securely grip suitable material therebetween and cooperating with the finger engaging portions to securely hold the finger-engaging portions in engagement with the users finger when the material is gripped between the gripper member and to release the finger when the material is removed from the grippermembers, the fingerrengaging portions being yieldable to permit material of various sizes' to be held by the gripper members and to impart gripping stress to the opposed gripper members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN T. ASHTON 

